Tell him to be careful about where he gets it. He will have to live with it forever, and it could very well affect him in job interviews. I have some, but on my lower back, so only seen in bathing suits. Also, make sure he knows how much they cost-not cheap!

I have a strong opinion for no tattos till over 18, I don't like them then either, my daughter will be 18 in a few months and says she is glad she waited and will think it through as to what she wants but still will get one. My oldest got one at 17 behind my back and now would rather not have it. My 14 year old so far doesn't want one. But no discussion at all till 18 saves time.

i may be "weird" but my son is 16 and he wants on on his upper arm and i told him i will go with him to get it done when he turns 18. It's just a way of expressing himself, if he gets a job, it is covered and more and more jobs/careers are more lenient on them now. Just like colored hair.. I am all for them but good quality ones and i will go with him and make sure the place is safe & respectable. )O(

My husband I are the same way. As long as you are living under our roof you will do as we say. Even though I know you don't want him to get a tattoo, chances are, when he moves out he will. Unfortunately, we can't hang on to our kids forever.

I've told my 17-y-o son that he has to be 18 and pay for it himself, and get it done at a safe, licensed and hygienic place. AND he has to pay for the laser surgery to get them removed later!

I don't mind him having tattoos if they are in places where they can be covered up when he has to dress professionally. I wouldn't have one for myself, but if they are meaningful for him, who am I to tell him no?

There is NOTHING WRONG with tattoos. I have 5 myself. My 17 years old son wants one and I have no problem with that. As long as it is good work and in a spot that if he needs to cover it he can. Society today still looks down upon us tattooed people. Some suggestions for you. Find a reputable artist, look at his work, ask questions about sanitation and health board regulations. Don't let them go alone, share the moment with them. You'll be surprised how much they will appreciate it and you for it. One thing to realise EVERY province has a different age for allowing tattoos without parental consent. Be their friend, not their enemy when it comes to getting tattoos. They more you crab about it, the more they will want to get one done.

I have always told my daughter (17) that she can have one when she's 18 and moves out, BUT then when my 15 year old said she was pregnant, a tattoo seemed insignificant. I just told her to think very carefully about what she would have to live with and would she regret the tattoo later. I say we have to choose our battles. What is important to one mother, another mother will say, "if that's all you have to worry about, be glad' :-)

I don't care for them. My son really wants one especially because his best friend is a walking canvas. I simply told him that he could get one if I could be the first to carve it on him. I guess he took me seriously because that was three years ago. I know he'll eventually get one.

I am an extremely tattooed (yet classy & intelligent) women, and still not always a tattoo fan.. I am a mother of 4 boys.. The oldest being a US Marine (20yrs old) Marine's are known for getting tattooed.. Right?

Well I feel, I have allowed my children to be themselves when it comes to artistic expression.. And because of that, to my surprise not even my Marine wants to get a tattoo (even AFTER 2 deployments)..

Try allowing your kids to express themselves with funky haircuts, hair colors, & even clothing (& I am NOT a big fan of baggy jeans -so that does not happen- ABOVE ALL, ITS ABOUT HAVING RESPECT FOR OURSELVES OF OTHERS )..

Hi. My 18 year old wanted one when he was 16. I told him I would think about it, as he was only 16. He has recently gotten a star put on his hand "accidentally". Don't understand the "accidentally" part of it but okay. Ultimately it's his decision. He is now 18 and has to be the one to live with his decision. My ex has a tat of a skull on his forarm, got it when he was really young and now it looks really bad. My son has seen this so he knows. like I said in my opinion ultimately he is the one who has to live with his decision.

Hi! I have had the same conversation with my 17 yr old daughter as a lot of these other moms. She has to be over 18, have a job and really think about what she wants. I didn't get mine until I turned 35 and I had her help me make a final decision. That way she say what a hard time I had trying to decide what really fit me. I think something that is going to be a perminate fixture on your body needs to reflect your life in totality-not spur of the moment. The same applies to piercings-I didn't pierce my belly button until I was 25 and it symbolized the end of a difficult time-now I use it like a worry stone! Just because it's "cool" is not a good reason! Plus she gets to see me rag on the kids of our group whenever thats the answear they give me for doing it.

My son decided he wanted a tatoo on his back. He decided on a design which I actually like and it is not small but it looks nce. I have never really liked tatoos and never considered on myself. He asked our permission to get it even though he was 20 at the time. I was pleased that he asked us rather than just going ahead and doing it since he was old enough to get it done. He can easily coever it up and no one knows about it unless he is shirtless. I have gotten use to it now. Kids today think they are so great, very different from when we were growing up.

I am going through that with my 15yr old daughter i told her what u told ur son and she got mad telling me all her other friends got them... i told her she can get them when she is grown and out on her own

I worked for a doctor who removes them...that process alone talked me out of ever doing myself. I think that kids just love the thought of having them so they can look cool. It really can affect their future. I know employers who won't hire if you have them. It is something to think about...they are not just permanent marker. I would never do it and have taught my kids from a young age a health fear of how they get one and how it has to come off it they don't like it. So far it has worked. I just plain don't like them.

I will begin by saying that I myself have a tattoo, I have always had fasinations w/them but my family nor my boyfriend(then husband) liked them so I waited until the right time...it was in fact a gift from my husband...it also means something to me & is in an area that is very rarely seen...I have advised my 16 year old daughter to be real sure & that it should have some meaning to her...that being said I have also told her my regrets on the matter & that if I were to do it again I wouldn't. At the end of the day after they have passed a certain age there is only advise we can give them & hope they make the right choice. I understand the tattoo she wants to get & the reason, BUT still I have advised her to wait & when & if she still wants then I will take her personally...That is my best advise w/out sounding hypacritical

As for my kids, once they are grown they have to answer for it themselves.

By way of observation, on the beach last week I saw a LOT of tats that probably do NOT look the same as when they were first done.

Teenage girl gets a tat on her lower abdomen/bikini area.

Teenage girl grows up, gets married, and has a baby.

Things do NOT look the same.

It's like drawing a picture on a balloon before you blow it up.

The picture looks very different when the balloon is filled up.

Then when you let the air out it does NOT look like it originally did.

I have no control over what they do when grown, but I'm hoping they decide against them- that will probably put them in the minority because tats are definitely a very popular method of self expression.

The human body is already beautiful as is. Some just like to try to improve its beauty...

i dont think tattoos r a problem, i am 42, have 9 small ones, my choice, my body, once old enuff, then your choice, my daughters have them, think there are more things 2 worry about 2 b honest....!!!!!

i didnt get my first tattoo till i was 30 something.....i have 4 now but each one is apart of my life and who i am as a person....it marks a period in my life like a memory does...my daughter wanted one and at first i didnt mind but it had to be of somethng meaningful not some tat just to get a tat....so it took awhile but she did it at the age of 17 and the tat means so much to me as her....meanwhile her grandfather flipped but my husband said to him she is a high honer student with everything ahead of her, she succeeds in everything she does and if this tat is the only bad things she does in her life then so be it.....the tattoo is two hearts intertwining on her wrist it is her heart and mine forever together and that means something....oh and my tattoo is of my childrens footprints walking up my arm with their names in the print and a ribbon stating their birthdates and of course the praying angel holding the ribbon its my dedication to my children who i love uncondtionally......

Well, as a mother of an 18 yr old boy I say this. I have tattoo's, but I didn't get them until I was in my 20's. I was sure this was what I wanted and then made the responsible mature decision that would affect my body. Yes, he has thought about it, but as I have told him, if I could wait, so can he. If he were to come home with a tattoo, really what can I do??? I could kick him out, but really I don't think I would, not over this anyway. Tattoo's are a personal preference. Kids nowadays are not getting them for any other reason than they think they are cool and all their friends have them. Ask your son to give you a mature intelligent reason for wanting a tattoo, then I suggest you sit down and talk THOSE reasons over. Good luck and god bless.

my fourteen yr wanted one I suggested he wait until he stopped growing because it can stretch and look ugly. I also told him I would take him and pay for it! And HELP him chose it! well it took away the rebelliousness, made him trust me and boys often do not stop growing until they are twenty five. so it gives you some time.and by then he might have changed his mind. I also did not want him to do it on the sly but now since I will pay for it, he will wait and I will get a chance to by part of the choice.

Unfortunately tattoos have kind of a negative stigmatism that comes along with it but truthfully they can be quite tasteful and artistic depending on what they get. It's a way of expressing something that means alot to the person getting the tat. My 16 yr old daughter wants to get one, now since she's 16, in AZ I have to give my consent and sign something, your son is 19 and probably doesn't need your permission, at least legally. I told my daughter if she really wanted it to write a one page paper telling me what she wanted and why. That way I knew she wasn't getting one just because her friends had one, but because she really thought about what she wanted and her reason for getting one. Also this way in the future if she ever says to me, "why'd you let me get this," I'll have documentation that puts the blame right back on her. :o)

My son is also 19. Although he has not expressed a desire for tattoos, he has friends who does have tattoos - and he recently went with one of his friends to the tattoo parlor when he had his done. Needless to say, I am expecting my son to come to me soon saying he wants a tattoo. I personally don't have a problem with tattoos as long as they are not too excessive and are well-placed. Truth be told, I've always wanted a small tattoo, but my fiance won't hear of it!

Anyway if/when my son does come to me I will tell him first he has to pay for it. Next I would tell him to be responsible about placement and the type of tattoo (nothing on the face or neck or some huge monstrosity spattered across the chest or back - nothing morbid, no skulls or bones, no grim reapers or other negative images!!) Next, I would talk about priorities. Even if he does have the money to pay for it, more important responsibilities should come first - such as a new suit for a job interview, or the fee to pay for driving lessons and obtaining a license, etc....

I myself dont mind tattoos. I think at the age of 19 its his choice, Im sure you could ask to please not get something stupid, or anyones NAME.. Make sure it is tasteful, just remind him that it is permanent... (I know there is tattoo removal these days) But I think all in all its his body. Just have a talk about how it is a HUGE decision...

He's 19? He is an adult....He can die for our country at this age.....as long as the tattoo isnt offensive. Remind him that he will have to look at it everyday and it is extremely painful and costly to remove

I have a tattoo and so does my step-daughter (20 years old), she has two of them. I am fine with them as long as they are 18, out of high school, and they pay for them with their own money. Not money from the savings, from working, no job, no tattoo.

I have talked to my 13 year old about it she has asked me about getting one and I let her know that they are permanent so she would need to consider that first and then when she is 18 it is her choice I personally have 4 right now and I am going to get 1 more all of them have meaning behind them but by the time she is 18 I hope I have raised her to know to think before you act and then if she still wants one I will support her decisions after all it is her decision to make after she is 18 but not until then

My 18 yo has a tattoo that I think is very tactful. He also comes from a family of Mom,Dad and step dad who all have tattoo's so when he wanted one it was disscused and dad took him to get one. We all had to agree on what he was gonna get and where he would put it. Didn't want it any where that would enable him from getting a decent job.

if you have a teenager, a tatoo should be the least of your worries. make him find a place that follows all the safety regulations, etc and let him get it. otherwise, he might go someplace and get one without the perks of health department regs. remind him that it will be with him forever...so choose the location and type well. good luck!

My 17 year old daughter has one and I went with her to get it done it is a nice one and all she has got his Granddads girl -as her granddad his very sick and she has always been his wee girl and like she said I would rather do it now that granddad can see it and he knows how i feel about him.I did not think I would ever get one but I did and its rather nice.

i have three teenage boys and two have expressed intrest in tatoos...i feel that it is diffrent for boys and girls( iknow iknow) but my son is a varsity football player and he wants a "tasteful" tatoo of his school pride for hs and college....i feel this is reasonable and i rather research tatoo shops and cleanliness before he goes to a back door shop...this is a tough one good luck!!

Unfortunately he is 19 and can have it done without your permission. Be happy he has included you in his choice of wanting a tattoo. Hear him out, is he doing it because his friends have them or is he wanting something that is meaningful to him? You should let him know of the dangers of getting a tattoo and to really shop for a good artist if this is what he chooses to do, helping him with this might even ease your mind about it. I have a couple now, I got them in my 30's, I thought I would never do something like that. Mine have meaning to me and it is tasteful. Remind him it will be with him forever and there is maintenance that may have to be done, such as recoloring if he is out in the sun alot without sunscreen it fades the ink. If your son is paying for it with his own money that he has worked hard for and has a good head on his shoulders give him the facts. There are several web sites that give information on tattooing and how to find a clean shop and a great artist. I have a 16 yr son he has not brought it up yet but I am sure it will come. Don't draw the line research it give him the facts and it's a good idea that if he does decide this is what he wants he needs to have a "cooling off" time about a month or so to make sure he really wants to go through with it.

Well maybe you won't like what I am going to say, but I think this might be helpful I am 44 yrs old and I wanted a tatoo when I was young as well coming from a very strick family it was not allowed and back then not so excepted and only certain groups of people who were stero typed got them which is such a load anyway, I did the right thing and I waited. It was for a number reasons money, timing, illness, resprct for my familes wishes etc, I wanted it done by a professional and done right and it to look good after it was going to be there forever, now I have kids as well 17, and 23 they both would like these art works on themselves I myselve have about 5 now, my first one was not put on until I was I think 30. What I have told my kids is not until your at least 18 , you have to go to a professional and you have be sure of what it is you want it has to be well thought out so if you pick something you need to know where its going to be placed how it will be covered in the work place and after you have picked out you need a year of looking at that sketch if your still in love with it your ready! By the way neither one of them have any to date! For me its art and meaningful, I don't love anyone any less because they have been inked, its silly to me what we stress over as parents I think there are bigger issues for us in our lifes with our kids I would much rather see them make the right choice about what and who does it then sneaking around to get it done like others kids behind our backs. I remember my mother and my grandmothers reaction when they saw my first one in the summer time remember I was a grown adult, they still gave me a hard time , I simply asked them if they loved me any less the answer was no, I said ok then theres nothing more to say the ink does not change the person I am!

Hi my teenager got one without our permission and underage I was annoyed but I told her get one more and Ill have that tattooist in court, I dont know your damnned if you do dammned if you dont, I guess depends on what he is wanting to get, her is small

Well i know i will be pretty alone on this but im not really like alot of other moms out there.. I have tattoos and so does my husband.. I feel like its a way of expressing yourself like art. Now i do believe there are places u need to have them so u can cover them up if needed.. But i have told my son on his 18th bday that we will take him to get at tattoo if he wanted. Now i would be picky on what he wanted to put on but if it was his last name or somthing and it was somthing he thought about for a while where to put and what then i cant wait for the day that we as a family go and get tattoos. Every tattoo that my husband and i have gotten since we have been married has been together and its a memorable experience everytime.I feel in these times if u say no or not until u move out of my house then u are just pushing them to rebel.I understand it is somthing that will be on ur body forever but i believe its beautiful, and anyone who judges needs to take a look at themselves before judging other people..

I do not like tatoos!!! My youngest brother years ago put two of them... I started screaming. But that was my mother job not my. After all these years my nephew asked my mother for money to put on a tatoo and she did it. I personally do not like it. And I hope my son does not do that... When he is older and he is able to make his own choices I just pray I can accept and respect more easyer .

I HATE tatoos! I cringe when I see one and dread that the day will come when my 17-year old brings home a ghastly ornament imbedded into his skin somewhere. But as I'm frequently reminded by a group of teenagers 'But it's our bodies - let us tatoo it if we want' and I think, well, they're right. It is their bodies and who are we to tell them what to do with their bodies once they reach a certain age? And then again - is it really so bad? How about kids heavily into drugs? Perhaps Moms of those kids would gladly swap an overdose of cocaine with an innocent tattoo?

I personally, like tatoos as long as they're not too large or are all over your body. I am planning on getting one myself as a birthday gift to myself! My teenagers think I'm crazy. They tell me "Mom, it'll look like an oilslick as you get older".

I think if you don't like them stick to your guns. Its your house. Besides he is nineteen he should be trying to get out on his own. I told my girls that after they graduate and move out they can do what they want. Until that time they will respect my wishes.

Hi..I have an 18 yr old who has a tatoo ..I also had rules about getting one..but at 18 they do not need consent from an adult..so ..instead of him sneaking off and getting it with his friends I went with him and made a few suggestions which he did (its small and can be hidden by his shirt and if I do say so.. tastful) it was so much better than the conflict and drama we would have had if he just did it...

my 14 year old daughter has a tatto of a peace sign on her right ankle the size of a quarter. we had discussed it and made sure that it was small and we went into many different tatto places to check them out so that she could see the difference and who was honestly doing it correctly and who was not. We found a perfect match and the tatto artist...mason at flippen ink.....spoke with her and dicussed the good and bad and said, as another parent already said, that he even waits 12 months to make sure that is the tattoo that he wants before he has it done and he also makes sure that it can be built on and not just a bunch of random tats all over looking tacky. i have a small one on my left ankle and i work in an office and no one evens knows i have one unless they are purposely looking at my ankle.